Vail Gore Creek Petition
A petition holding Vail Resorts – a corporate ski monopoly – to a higher standard regarding their decades long track record of environmental impact and pollution, with a lack of accountability.
This is a call for a world class operation to start producing world class examples when it comes to operating in our natural lands. Examples that are at the very least, in line with their sustainability commitments – the 'Epic Promise'.
Sign Our Petition Holding Vail Resorts To a Higher Standard
Vail Resorts Stewardship Claims in Question over 2021 Gore Creek Spill
Restored Lands™ has put together a petition asking Vail Resorts to answer for their "Epic Promise's" faltering performance with a call for them to do better.
Our petition takes aim at the 2021 incident where Vail released 2 million gallons of water contaminated with toxic algicide into Gore Creek, killing aquatic wildlife, poisoning the ecosystem, and leaving the company responsible for just 40% of the project’s cost—while taxpayers & local groups fund the rest.
Vail worsened the creeks health, settled in court and never acknowledged fault. This was an opportunity to pick up the slack for the community and show their commitment to the Epic Promise*. Instead, another reactive response may be drawing attention to a long-standing pattern...
The restoration project is set to begin fall 2026, bringing this event back into the spotlight.
Help us bring awareness to this issue before Vail can put a bow on it!
Let Vail know you smell something fishy, sign today!
Episodes by The Restored Lands Podcast
Episode 1:
The Vail Gore Creek Petition and Vail Resorts' Revealing Environmental Track Record
This episode brings you up to speed on everything Vail Gore Creek Petition. It details the list of incidents the corporation has gotten themselves into, their operations, responses to their impacts & questionable behaviors. You will also learn of the "Epic Promise" and how it does not align with Vail's operational reality.
Episode 2:
Restored Lands' 2025 Projects, Programs & Initiatives & A Deeper Look into the Organization
Gain insight to everything we have going on this year in 2025, and get a deeper look into who we are & what we're about! This is a great introduction to Restored Lands™ !
We also touch on the petition efforts again.
Episode 7:
An Update on the Vail Gore Creek Awareness Campaign, Restoration and Petition
This episode will bring you up to speed on the Vail Gore Creek Petition efforts, which is largely an awareness campaign shining light on the Vail corps. environmental negligent impacts. We'll talk more about the $617,000 restoration project on the creek, tell you what we learned at the Natural Resource Damages (NRD) Trustee meeting in Vail this August, and more!
A List of Vail Resorts' Environmental Impacts
1999-present
2020's
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2020 Golden Peak 68 acre expansion – Vail Mnt.
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Habitat loss and increased water & energy use for snowmaking
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2021 Waste Spill during '22 McCoy Park 250 acre expansion – Beaver Creek, CO
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Construction & human waste leaked into McCoy Creek
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2021 Gore Creek Snowmaking Spill – Vail, CO
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Poisoned the ecosystem, killed fish
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*this happened just weeks after the McCoy Park incident*
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2022-'24 East Vail Housing in Bighorn Sheep Habitat
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Vail Resorts tried building in sheep habitat but was stopped by the town after going to court
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2022 Negligence at the '23 Bergman Bowl's 555 acre expansion – Keystone, CO (Vail Resorts’ most recent environmental impact)
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Illegally bulldozed sensitive alpine tundra
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Prior to 2020
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1999 Wetland Impact during Blue Sky Basin expansion – Vail Mnt.
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Unauthorized wetlands impact
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Invasion of endangered Canada Lynx territory
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1999/00 + Snowmaking and Water Use Controversies – Summit County & Keystone, CO
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Drought years, low flow, decimation of aquatic ecosystem & toxic abandon mine additives have been an ongoing issue for the Snake River – not helped by snowmaking efforts
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2008 Heavenly Mountain Resort, Pollution into Lake Tahoe
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Stormwater runoff from a parking lot degrading Lake Tahoes water quality – reactive measure taken, not previous preventative action
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2013 Heavenly Mountain Resort fined for Environmental Violations
- Had to pay over $100k in remediation
- Lack of inspections and oversight
Read more here
* "The Epic Promise is a comprehensive commitment to social responsibility and environmental stewardship. It encompasses a range of initiatives, including charitable giving, community programs, employee support, and a strong focus on achieving zero net operating impact by 2030. This includes goals of zero net emissions, zero waste to landfill, and zero net operating impact on forests and habitats."
Stay in the know on the Vail Gore Creek Petition
